


Brad hates country music

by aces_low



Series: drabbles and ish [24]
Category: Generation Kill
Genre: Drinking, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-10 04:26:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13494936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aces_low/pseuds/aces_low
Summary: Brad lets Walt in on a little secret





	Brad hates country music

**Author's Note:**

> Was prompted with: Can I tell you a secret? for BradWalt

“Can I tell you a secret?”

Walt looks over and eyes the beer bottle in Brad’s hand, wondering just how many of those he’s had in order to say something like that. His guess is, he’s going to need to let everyone know not to supply Brad with any more to drink tonight. Even if this is Brad’s going away party, Brad Colbert attempting to open up to someone, unprompted, is a new level of drunk that Walt has never personally seen.

“Sure,” he says, because Walt may be concerned for his former Sergeant’s mental state, but that doesn’t mean he’s an idiot who’s going to pass up an opportunity to learn a little more about the guy.

“I hate country music,” Brad says, looking down at his hands and tapping an unknown song on the bottle that’s in them.

Walt rolls his eyes. So, maybe this isn’t going to be the in-depth look inside Brad Colbert’s brain that he’d hoped it would be.

“Really? I had no idea.”

Brad turns toward him, narrowing his eyes for just a moment before a small, lopsided grin takes its place.

“I have hated every country music song I’ve ever heard since I was a kid,” Brad continues, and it’s Walt’s turn to scowl because now it seems like Brad is looking for a fight if he’s about to bad mouth all of country music right to Walt’s face.

Instead of taking the bait though, Walt just says, “I’m aware of your feelings on country music, Brad. I heard you berate Ray for it every day in Iraq.”

Brad rolls his eyes and huffs, taking another swig of his drink before leaning back in his seat.

“Ray’s singing can make listening to an already bad song into something closer to torture.”

Walt can’t help but grin. “Maybe they should think about adding him to the SERE training.”

That gets a genuine, bright smile from Brad, even a small huff of a laugh.

They sit in a happy silence together for a few seconds before Brad shakes his head. “You sidetracked me, I was telling you something.”

“I thought we were talking about how much you hated country music,” Walt says, he doesn’t think they veered off topic that much, and he’s not sure he’s really the one at fault if they did.

“I do. I really hate it,” Brad insists.

Walt sighs. “What’s your point?”

“I hate all country music, always have, always will,” Brad starts, and Walt is about two seconds from getting up and letting Brad go on his country music lambasting all by himself.

“Except…when you’re singing it,” Brad finishes and takes a long pull from his beer.

It’s a good thing that Walt has been drinking and his face is already red, otherwise, the flush that he can feel overtaking his skin would be much more obvious.

Of course, in some way, he already knew that, since Walt had sung several country songs over the course of their time in Iraq and Brad never shut him up the way he always would with Ray. But tolerating him singing a few old country ballads, and liking the music when he’s singing it are two very different things.

“Uh, thanks,” Walt is able to mutter out, too embarrassed by his reaction to say more or to look Brad in the eye.

This is the problem with developing a crush on his Sergeant, whenever Brad gives him even the slightest bit of encouragement, or compliment, or even just attention, Walt’s mind starts running wild with what it could mean. Now that Brad is no longer his superior, it’s even harder to remind himself that falling for the guy is a bad idea.

Brad nods, clearly oblivious to Walt’s inner turmoil over a simple compliment.

“I’m gonna miss it,” Brad adds, voice vaguely slurred. “And you.”

Walt snaps his head up at that, feeling his heartbeat racing as he tries to talk himself down.

“How much have you had to drink tonight?” he asks, instead of something embarrassing like ‘do you mean it?’ or worse, ‘do you wanna get out of here?’

Brad smirks. “Just enough.”

“Which is?”

“The amount it took to get out of my head and admit that to you,” Brad answers with a shrug.

Walt just sits and stares at him for a while as he digests this new information. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Brad’s shoulders curve in then and he turns his body away and Walt now feels himself panicking, he’s going to blow this moment if he doesn’t actually say real words soon.

“You too,” he rushes to say. “I mean…Me too, for you…the missing you part, not missing your singing. I mean, your singing is fine, I guess. I’m not saying it’s bad, or anything, I just don’t really think about -”

“Walt,” Brad mercifully cuts him off, and Walt is pretty sure he just blacked out for a moment there because there’s no way he just rambled about Brad’s singing for the last thirty seconds. He’s usually so much better at this.

But at least Brad is grinning now, which is probably a good sign. So, Walt takes a deep breath and tries to smile back.

“Would you…maybe want to come visit sometime?” Brad asks after a moment of silence between them, his eyes settling on Walt’s right shoulder.

Now, Walt doesn’t have to try to smile, he can feel himself beaming without giving himself permission to do so.

“Just…I figure I’ll have some leave time but not always enough time to come back to the states, and I know you’ve never been to England. I’m inviting Ray and Poke too, I’m not…It’s just an idea.”

Apparently, it’s Brad’s turn to ramble, his liquid courage must be wearing off, and Walt has to reach out, touch his arm, to keep him from completely folding in on himself.

“I’d love to,” Walt tells him, honestly. Hoping that maybe Brad schedules it so that Ray and Poke’s visits are at a different time than his own.

Brad finishes the last of his beer before he nods and says, “great, so that’s settled. Want another drink?”

He gets up to grab them new drinks before Walt can respond, or before Walt can remind him that with one more drink he’s bound to openly admit to the entire room that he actually loves and respects Ray Person as a human being and a friend.

But Walt doesn’t let that worry him too much right now. Because right now, Walt is riding on the high of Brad admitting that he likes it when he sings and, maybe more importantly, that he’s going to miss him.

It’s a start.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
